I MET a special little pony last week. Gentle, sweet natured, inquisitive, trusting. In fact, I was privileged enough to stroke her soft, velvet nose as she sniffed curiously at my coat pocket. So what is so special about that?

It was a balmy, summer evening two years ago when the BHS welfare received a phone call from a dog walker to report a horse lying dead in a ditch.

As arrangements were being made to have the body removed, a second call was received to say that actually, the little horse was still alive, but barely breathing. The priority status of the call changed immediately.

A rescue team arrived on the scene at 10.30pm to find not a horse, but a small pony foal, approximately four weeks old. The little filly was lying motionless in the ditch. She was unwilling or unable to stand, completely traumatised, the light had gone from her eyes; she had nothing left to offer this world.

Tow straps were needed to pull the foal out of the ditch and eventually get her to her feet, but then she needed to be persuaded to walk into the trailer. It was only a short walk, no more than a few feet, but she was having none of it. Traumatised and terrified, the pony had no fight left in her, but likewise no trust either and there was no way that she was going to walk willingly into another vehicle.

At 2.30am the following morning, following four desperate hours of pleading, persuasion and promises, the trailer ramp was finally lifted with pony safely inside, but when the rescue party finally got her home, she then needed to be unloaded. Not surprising, baby was having none of it so, with dawn fast approaching, it was decided to bed her down in the trailer for what was left of the night.

Precious, as she was now called, was safe, secure and no one would ever be allowed to hurt her again but sadly, at that time, this was a concept way beyond her understanding. Not terribly surprising under the circumstances, as when CCTV footage later came to light, a transit van was shown pulling up on the waste ground earlier that same evening. A group of men jumped out and man-handled something roughly from the back of the van which was then bundled into the ditch. That "something" was our filly.

The following morning, Precious was still unwilling to leave the security of the trailer so it was decided to introduce her to another rescue pony, young Oliver Twist.

In Oliver, she found both the courage and the trust to hesitantly walk down the ramp to meet him. The two ponies were penned together for a while and then slowly, tentatively our Precious little pony foal, began to accept human contact and, for what was possibly the first time in her life, she experienced kindness, gentle handling and understanding.

Education is still on going for Precious, but that would be true of any pony of her age.

Accompanied by young Oliver, she has been back in a trailer. She has recently started to wear tack and she has even been to her first show. Thanks to the BHS, for this little girl the future is bright.

Today, the British Horse Society work relentlessly to ensure that equines throughout the country are free to enjoy life within the guidelines of the five freedoms, as formalised in 1979 by the UK Farm Animal Welfare Council.

The Five Freedoms being:

Freedom from hunger or thirst;

Freedom from discomfort;

Freedom from pain, injury or disease;

Freedom to express (most) normal behaviour;

Freedom from fear or distress.

And the message to relay to anyone looking to buy a horse? Don’t be tempted to buy off indiscriminate breeders. Please don’t breed from your mare unless you want to keep the foal, or know where it will be going.

When looking for a horse or pony, maybe consider a rehabilitated rescue? Affordable, well-handled and well-mannered, these equines have such a lot to offer.

Further information on rehoming a rescue can be obtained from the RSPCA or the British Horse Society. Alternatively, send me an email to karen.hunton@nqyne.co.uk and I will pass on your details.